Very often, there exists a thin line, and a really thin line at that, between good and evil, between success and failure, between right and wrong, between productivity and stagnation, and we need to seek God in prayer in order to help us stay on the right side of this line.

When European immigrants settled in America, God provided everything needed for a successful life; because God gives wisdom, intelligence, and power. On the other hand, the devil whispered in the ears of some of them and showed them how they could increase their profits (seemingly), and live an easier life (seemingly) by using slavery. The devil showed them how to justify this ungodly practice by subtly twisting verses in the bible.

Related: Many things can be justified by using the scriptures wrongfully.

This was temptation, and as the song goes ‘yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin…’ Yet, many Christians yielded to this temptation, but many resisted it too, as it is written, ‘resist the devil and he will flee from you’.

If you study the civil war of the America, it will be clear to see that Americans gained nothing from slavery but loss. Whatever material wealth might have been accumulated through slave labor, was it not lost in the war? Was it really profitable to enslave people to gain riches? Did not the riches make themselves wings and fly towards heaven? And if some wealth was indeed gained through slavery, was it worth the cost of human lives: brothers, sons and friends killed in the horrors of war? The emotional toll alone of such a war far exceeds any amount of material wealth in the world. So how insignificant this gain through slavery might have been, if it existed at all?

Will slaves ever say anything good about slave drivers? What good is it to have your name blasphemed day and night simply because you ‘thought’ you could save a few pennies? The bible tells us that ‘a good name is better than pearls and rubies’. Certainly, slavery is not the way to acquire a good name, and if you acquire material wealth at the expense of a bad name, it is better if you had acquired nothing. But slavery brings a bad name and temporary riches which will soon fly away.

Another drawback of slavery is it could make the masters physically weaker and more physically dependent, causing their offspring to have a sense of insecurity. Think about it, if it is known to the minds of a people that they have human slaves to perform hard labor, how much mental weakness this will inspire them? How much reduced will their drive be to increase their strength through natural foods, herbs, remedies, and even hard labor? How much weaker will they be? Any intelligent person knows of the wonders of physical exercise to the human body. And hard work is food to the body mind and soul. Imagine how ‘poor’ the sons of slavemasters will have become, being deprived of this privilege of hard manual labor.

This is how easy it is for humans to be carried away, to be taken into the wiles of the devil. And it was not only American Christians who were misled into the sin of slavery, powerful people from all across the world fell prey to this wile of the devil. However, many resisted.

Related: A list of powerful peoples who never held slaves.

Related: What is the secret to being ‘wealthy’.

Related: How much wealth do you really need?

God provides everything for you when you put your trust in him and follow his commands. On the other hand, after God has made people rich and powerful, the devil comes in and tries to deceive them.

On many occasions, there can be a thin line between believing in yourself, and over-rating yourself; between being practical, and underestimating your abilities, and between working hard, and killing yourself. That is the importance of always consulting God in prayer and asking Him to guide you in making the right decisions.

Related: Are there really any winners in a war?

Related: Why I refused the money laundering offer.

Related: Just the right amount of exercise.

Related: Just enough, but not too much studying.

Related: Balancing the act: all play and no work makes jack a dull boy.

Related: Do not labor to become rich, cease for your own understanding.